Am I crazy? (Potty training) *Updated* (post 65)

[Terabith]

I would recommend a potty chair for the toddler. They are also handy for car trips.

[Guest]

 

How do you people get along without purses? I like the security of knowing that just about everything I need is in there. :)

Wallet, keys, pocket knife, phone. Anything else lives in the car. I figure if it works for guys it can work for us. :) And honestly, it made me feel less vulnerable when I was carrying a 12 month old and a new born in a grocery parking lot and wrestling groceries or a cart. Purse snatching isn't uncommon here and I figured it gave me one less thing to worry about.

[heartlikealion]

Mine is almost 18 months and does the same things!! I'm half-heartedly trying to potty train her. She hasn't gone in the potty, but she constantly removes clothing/diaper. And there really aren't any clothes that are safe, either. Just a deterrent, really ha. I have not tried putting on the clothes backwards.

[SKL]

I don't carry a purse, but I did carry a small diaper bag when my kids were in diapers and for a little while thereafter.  Until they were about 21mos, and I realized I was never using the bag, so why carry it?

 

I actually started them using the toilet a lot younger than I took them out of diapers / pull-ups.  My youngest was under 10 months and not able to sit herself up independently; the eldest was 13mos and not walking.  They were also small for her age, with my eldest being below the 3rd %ile for weight.  :p  Very tiny butt.  For my situation, the folding travel potty seats were useful.  I don't remember when I stopped using them.

 

The Bjorn little potties were useful because I had 2 kids sitting at the same time.  Plus I could use them in the backyard.  It was just a lot easier for me that way.  My kids didn't seem to mind it.  :)

Edited May 19, 2016 by SKL

[barnwife]

I can't imagine potty training that young.  

 

 

I hear people say this, but is a kid really trained if they can't get onto the toilet?

That was what I always wondered about. 

Like many other posters, ours have all (so far) been trained by 2ish (day trained, that is). We just saw my sister and she was close to my kids and somebody must have passed gas because she asked if anybody was in a diaper. Anyway, I can't remember the last time I put a diaper on our youngest (almost 3). 

 

Frankly, to me it seems way easier to start when super tiny and just say "potty goes in the toilet" a billion times and show them. Then its just normal. If I tried to start training my current almost 3 yo now, he'd be all stubborn about it.

 

That statistic refers to when children are able to consistently eliminate urine and feces in a culturally appropriate location. So at 2ish, for me it counts as long as my kid gets it in the potty chair or toilet. Oddly, they have all learned to climb onto the toilet pretty young. In other countries, that may mean using a hole in the ground outside.

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

I don't carry a purse, but I did carry a small diaper bag when my kids were in diapers and for a little while thereafter.  Until they were about 21mos, and I realized I was never using the bag, so why carry it?

 

I actually started them using the toilet a lot younger than I took them out of diapers / pull-ups.  My youngest was under 10 months and not able to sit herself up independently; the eldest was 13mos and not walking.  They were also small for her age, with my eldest being below the 3rd %ile for weight.  :p  Very tiny butt.  For my situation, the folding travel potty seats were useful.  I don't remember when I stopped using them.

 

The Bjorn little potties were useful because I had 2 kids sitting at the same time.  Plus I could use them in the backyard.  It was just a lot easier for me that way.  My kids didn't seem to mind it.  :)

 

Oh the backyard- that just made me laugh because it brought back a recent memory. A couple of months ago we were working out in the pasture and ds4 decided he needed to pee on a stump. I turn around and there's dd3, dropping trou as well in the middle of the pasture, trying to pee on her own stump. She was indignant when I told her it probably wasn't going to work out as well for her........

[slterry]

Not crazy! If you are willing to take the time, it can be done. I PT my oldest at 18 months without difficulty with the three day method and we never had any issues. He's 4.5 now. My 20 month old daughter is sort of potty training herself right now (I started putting both on the potty for #2's when they were 10/12 months because we cloth diaper and it was easier than cleaning up poopy diapers) by just having a little potty near-by. There is a really awesome window of opportunity from 18-22 months or so to potty train from what the books say. I've found it to be very true! 

[shawthorne44]

I was more wondering what people do if they go out.

 

I had a baby that was toilet trained.   It hadn't been on my to-do list.   It was her idea.   Even as a newborn she would scream and NOTHING would be wrong.   Then 5 minutes later she would pee or poop.   Eventually (it took me awhile) I figured out that she was crying because she KNEW she would be wet and she did NOT like the idea.   Then I had this brilliant idea to take her to the diaper table, undo her diaper and then just wait for her to do her thing then change the diaper.  Then I realized that was pretty dumb, since I knew it was going to happen might as well not dirty a diaper.  So, then I held her with her back against me and each hand holding a leg.  Then she peed in the toilet.  IKEA (and others) sells baby potty chairs, but for us the direct in the toilet was easier and it worked the same.   She was doing that before she could sit alone.  We taught her to signal us when she had to go.   Pee was "psssss" and poop was making the fart noise with your lips.  

She was potty trained from about 4 months to about 1 year when she started walking.   Then she went back to diapers until around 2.  

[freesia]

I trained my youngest at 20 month old. I do potty boot camp. I ask every 15 minutes (yes, I set timers) if they are dry and reward dryness with potato chips (salt) and juice. I have them sit on the potty every hour and reward compliance at the beginning and production later. For me the key is rewarding dry undies.

 

My oldest (who I did try to train at 20 months, but gave up when he started peeing in the corner-figured that was his NO) decided to train at 26 months when dd #1 was born. So, I have trained with a new baby. I don't remember it much.LOL But I also don't remember it being hard.

 

Once I put them in underwear, I don't do diapers except at night and pull ups ONLY for naps and car travel. We stay home until things are going really well.

 

My only caveat to all this is that we used cloth diapers during the day and I have no idea if that influenced the ease with which my kids trained. Personally I think it is a melding of the kid and Mom being ready. I also think that many (but not all) children can be trained a lot earlier than we do here in the US. However, I also don't think it's a problem they're not. I just think that if the Mom is ready, she shouldn't feel she needs to wait just b/c most Moms are training at 2.5-3.5. (Kind of the reverse pressure from the 50's when they trained young). Try if you want, you'll figure out within a couple of days if the toddler isn't ready.

Edited May 19, 2016 by freesia

[Amy in NH]

I carried a little potty seat in a tote bag when we went out. We had the step/seat at home and left it on the toilet, only removing it temporarily when an adult had to go.

 

 

http://mobile.kohls.com/product/prd-2191922/dreambaby-easy-clean-potty-seat-.jsp?ci_mcc=ci&utm_campaign=EC%20BABY%20NON-APPAREL&utm_medium=CSE&utm_source=google&utm_product=99485547&CID=shopping15&gclid=CNCkidje58wCFRNahgodhAsHXg&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=COmRq9je58wCFUEEDAodfpEPXw

 

http://www.walmart.com/ip/28775074?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0&adid=22222222227019143016&wl0=&wl1=g&wl2=t&wl3=40340700272&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=78298343672&veh=sem

 

My training method was no pants during the day. Once they figured out that they were making mess, they were trained within two weeks. Almost no accidents at night, either.

Edited May 20, 2016 by Amy in NH

[medawyn]

So, two weeks later, I have one (basically) fully potty trained three year old.  Only one accident, some resistance, and dry through naps but not at night.  Woo hoo!  Turns out the 18 mo old is the stubborn one about pottying.  She would sit on the potty for up to ten minutes, and produce nothing.  45 seconds after she got off, though... After three days of puddles, I conceded, and we'll try again in a few months.

 

The 3 week old chose that weekend to stop his awesome night sleeping, but we persevered.  Thanks for the encouragement, even if we only had success with one!

[freesia]

So, two weeks later, I have one (basically) fully potty trained three year old.  Only one accident, some resistance, and dry through naps but not at night.  Woo hoo!  Turns out the 18 mo old is the stubborn one about pottying.  She would sit on the potty for up to ten minutes, and produce nothing.  45 seconds after she got off, though... After three days of puddles, I conceded, and we'll try again in a few months.

 

The 3 week old chose that weekend to stop his awesome night sleeping, but we persevered.  Thanks for the encouragement, even if we only had success with one!

Excellent! Like I said, my first wasn't ready early either, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. She'll probably decide to train the week the baby learns to crawl or some other equally inconvenient time.LOL

[katilac]

I hear people say this, but is a kid really trained if they can't get onto the toilet?

That was what I always wondered about. 

 

I don't care what you call it, I prefer helping a child get onto the toilet and wipe than cleaning poopy diapers and poopy child. 

 

I was more wondering what people do if they go out.

 

Just help them? My kids are tiny and needed to be supported on public toilets for a looong time. It's no big deal, it's not like I would have sent my toddlers off the mall bathroom on their own anyway. 

 

I do think that many parents miss the potty training window. It comes at different ages for different kids, but when they start alerting you for diaper changes, they are usually close to ready. Some people say they would rather wait and be able to train more quickly at an older age, but usually resistance sets in and it's twice as much work. 

[Tsuga]

Yay for op!

 

We did gradual potty training. Like eating solid food, they started early and made fewer messes as they went along. Both needed reminders and help cleaning up for some time but we're going in the potty with reminders well before 18 months. We were diaper free by 18 months (I considered it common sense to diaper unreliable kids in public just in case--at 18 months they were reliably dry).

 

I don't care if they weren't really potty trained. Whatever. Saved me tons of loads of laundry and agony when it came to pre-school aged activities as I have stubborn kids.